


Fault

by TheWorkoftheHeart



Category: One Piece
Genre: Gen, Grief/Mourning, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Monkey D. Luffy/Trafalgar D. Water Law, Nightmares, Recovery, just somethin to explore, part of it anyways!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:15:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26553445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWorkoftheHeart/pseuds/TheWorkoftheHeart
Summary: Law couldn’t understand why they didn’t juststop.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 45





	Fault

**Author's Note:**

> welcome back to hana's being self indulgent again, episode 368. also, i expected this to be more expressly lawlu, but i cannot control the way my fics end up flowing after a while. regardless, i hope you enjoy!

Law couldn’t understand why they didn’t just _stop_.

Logistically, he knew the reasons why his nightmares continued to plague him. Battling Doflamingo face-to-face, hearing his wicked taunts and feeling the true effects of his powers, the way the strings constricted his body and made it difficult to move and breathe; it was all new and traumatic, and his brain _couldn’t seem to stop_ replaying the memories of how it all felt when it was happening.

If he were on the Polar Tang, he swore he would’ve put himself into a medically-induced coma just to make everything slow down for a little while. He knew his crew would scream his ears off for even joking about that sort of thing, but to a degree, he wasn’t joking at all.

The one that rattled him awake this particular morning had to be one of the worst. Hidden in a case that rocked uncomfortably, the scent of smoke and death outside reminding him all too much of _home_ , and every time he’d peek out the cracks in the wood he could see Minion Island, with bullets raining like string from the sky into a Corazon that stood stationary and still, each feather flying off his coat being a petal from a cursed rose that took time off his lifespan. He couldn’t get out, but he could hear Doflamingo taunting him outside the box, and he just felt like curling up and disappearing. He wanted to scream, he wanted to scream until _someone_ could save him but no one could hear him, and he felt the box being dropped--

Law awoke to his head ramming against the floor, and the sound of his own choked sobs. As he stared down at the wooden floor, taking in his environment and trying to get the sound of pounding out of his ears, it was all just a reminder. He _could_ hear himself. Corazon _was_ dead. No glorious defeat in Dressrosa could ever change that.

He’d almost tricked himself into thinking it would.

Law choked back his cries as he tried to recollect himself. He could hear footsteps coming down the corridor of the Sunny towards the room he was lodging in and he tried to make himself look fine so he could be left alone, but how could he look fine? He was riddled with bandages and his face was soaked with tears, not to mention the bump from where he’d twisted himself from his own hammock. He was so, so far from fine.

The door crept open without a courteous knock to accompany it. The silhouette was unfamiliar at first, with just messy hair and strong arms peeking in from the frame; Zoro, he was tempted to say, but the hair was too long and he didn’t have his earrings. No, not Zoro.

“Torao?”

Luffy. Luffy’s voice managed to further alight his nerves and soothe him all at once. Law just averted his gaze and dusted off the front of his hoodie, trying to play it cool. “I’m fine, Luffy-ya. Go back to sleep.”

“You’re not fine, don’t lie to me. Or at least, lie to my face.”

Luffy pulled the metal string by the door, bringing in some light. He entered Law’s room without asking first-- they both knew it was okay. Law still wouldn’t look at him, moving towards the window to perch himself up beside it, staring at the vastness of the deep black sea as it drifted to a horizon Law couldn’t make out.

Luffy sat opposite of him, straddling the chair instead of sitting in it straight. “Are you okay, Torao? It sounded like you f-”

“I said I’m fine. I didn’t fall.”

Luffy paused. “It sounded like you freaked out and had a nightmare,” he finished. “I heard you shout from outside and came in to check on you, and then I heard a crash.”

Law’s face flushed. Had he shouted in his sleep? Christ, so annoying... The last thing he wanted to do was draw more people into his personal problems. 

“Tell me what’s going on, Torao... I’m worried about you.”

_I’m worried about you._

The words struck a nerve in his stomach and he couldn’t tell what emotion it gave him. Regardless, he just rubbed his arm uncomfortably, trying to explain everything simply so he wouldn’t have to have an improvised therapy session.

“The... what I told you, on Dressrosa.”

Luffy blinked. “That we’re headed to Zou?”

Law chuckled softly, dryly, quickly. It wasn’t a happy one. “No, dumbass. About my past.”

“Oh!” Luffy clapped his hands together in realization. It was just a bit too loud. “About Mingo’s baby brother?”

 _Mingo_. Law would never understand why someone as wretched as Doflamingo got such a fond name. 

“Yes. It was just another nightmare about him, and a bunch of other stuff. It’s fine, honest.”

Luffy frowned, leaning back a little. He wasn’t happy with the dead-end answer, and it was obvious he intended to get something more in-depth. “What happened in it?”

Law didn’t want to say. He kept his eyes averted. Luffy tried to think of a different question, so he could at least find something to comfort him on. “How do you feel?”

Law was sick of lying. He let his guard down, just this once. The words came out heavy on his tongue, making his voice crack. “I feel guilty.”

“Guilty?”

Luffy moved closer. Law bit his lip in an attempt to keep from crying all over again. He’d never told anyone what _truly_ happened back on Minion Island. That Vergo finding him was Law’s fault, that Doflamingo finding out was Law’s fault. It was all Law’s fault. The guilt was constantly eating him up and he was _tired_ of dealing with it for so long. He’d been told time and time again that Corazon wouldn’t want him to feel like this by his crew, but why is it that those words did nothing? Why did those memories still hurt so much? Why did he feel so at _fault?_

“It’s not your fault that he died, Law,” Luffy tried, but Law shut him down with the wave of a hand and a cracking voice.

“No, you don’t understand. It is. When we... when we were on that island together, I was supposed to find help, and I found Vergo instead. I didn’t know what the bastard looked like. He never told me his name. And he ratted Cora-san out to Doflamingo, and... he shot him. He shot Cora-san in the chest. It’s my fault he died. That’s why I took Doflamingo down.”

Luffy listened, processed, thought it all over. His eyes bore holes into Law and he just looked down, scrunching his hands on the fabric of his pants, watching teardrops align with the patches sewn onto them. Luffy finally spoke up, after a few minutes.

“Did you kill him?”

Law blinked. He looked up at Luffy incredulously. “What?”

“I said, did you kill him? Did you kill Cora?”

Law was almost offended Luffy had asked. “Fucking-- _Luffy-ya_ , who do you take me for?! Of course I didn’t! I would never do that.”

Luffy didn’t flinch, didn’t move. Instead, he just looked into Law’s eyes.

“Then it’s not your fault. He died, but he died _for_ you, not _because_ of you. I’m sure Cora wouldn’t want you to think he died because you didn’t know something.”

 _He died for you, not because of you._ Those words seemed to silence the volume of his head, to pull his thoughts to a stop. For a moment, he felt like someone was smiling at him, like a message that had been sent all those years ago was finally, finally delivered.

It’s not his fault. It never was.

Law lets the tears slip from his eyes. What starts as a silent cry becomes broken sobs and in an instant, he’s pulled Luffy into his arms, gripping his shirt close, so close, trying to soak in his warmth.

“I’m sorry,” Law stammered, but Luffy quieted him with a gentle hum and a hand through his hair.

“Don’t be, Torao... it’s not your fault, okay? It’s okay.”

Law leaned into Luffy’s touch, finding comfort in it. Though, he felt even more comfort in the feeling of peace that had taken the spot where guilt once was.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this, follow me on my twitter, @hanahana_no__mi! Thank you!
> 
> EDIT: FORGOT TO CREDIT @Chibitami HERE ON AO3 FOR THE AMAZING LINE INSPIRATION LIKE HOLY SHIT!!! THEIR FIC "NIGHTMARE" MADE ME SO EMOTIONAL ;N;


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